


Brotherly lessons in leverage

by Beleriandings



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen, M/M, Valinor fluff, siblings being siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-04 22:50:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11000652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beleriandings/pseuds/Beleriandings
Summary: Prompt: “You’re too young to hate the world”





	Brotherly lessons in leverage

“You’re too young to hate the world” said Maitimo, reaching out to ruffle both twin’s copper heads, one with each hand. He stretched lazily. “You two are so cynical….. don’t tell me Moryo’s gotten to you already?”

“We’re old enough.” Ambarussa frowned, crossing his arms. “What’s the need for us to be father’s good little courtiers - numbers six and seven at that! - when you give enough empty smiles for the whole family? We could be doing something fun.”

“Yeah!” agreed Umbarto. “It’s not our fault we don’t care as much about pleasing our stupid uncles as you seem to. Besides, even father doesn’t always go to court!” He giggled. “He hates it!”

“Indeed” said their eldest brother tightly, but in a moment his smile was back. “All the more reason that _someone_ from this family ought to make an appearance once in a while.”

“Oh, well…. can’t you do it Nelyo? You’re better at that sort of boring thing anyway. You and Káno both.”

“I think it should by rights be all of us, for better or for worse” said Maitimo. “But the situation being as it is…”

Ambarussa snorted, elbowing his brother, and his brother whispered something back; Maitimo raised a single, perfectly groomed eyebrow.

“Ambarussa says…. he says you just want to go so you can see sweet Finno!”

“Yeah! And _Ambarussa_ says…. you make eyes at him from across the hall. And Curvo told us that during Indis’ garden party for little Arko’s name day you two snuck off and…”

“Shhh Ambarussa! I thought we were keeping that one to use against Finno!”

His brother pushed him. “It’s perfectly good dirt on both of them! May as well use it!”

“Idiot! You gotta wait until the right time!”

“ _You_ wait until the right time!”

Over the sound of their squabbling, Maitimo ran a graceful hand through his hair, twisting a copper curl around his fingers. “Ah, distraction” he said, over the sound of the twins’ incipient scuffle. “Did you know, a personal attack such as that is often considered rather a rhetorical fallacy?” he said, unconcernedly. He sighed, taking off his circlet with a languid, practiced flourish and wiping an invisible speck of dust off the jewels set in it before setting it neatly back on his elegantly braided head. “Ah, well, I suppose it’s not unexpected.” He gave a slightly supercilious smile. “It’s not as if children would be interested in the….. intricacies, the intrigue and thrust and parry of the court….” he grinned. “Perhaps you’re not quite as fully grown beyond childhood as I had thought…. my mistake perhaps….”  

Immediately the twins stopped fighting. “What?”

“Stupid Nelyo. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“We’re practically adults!”

“We’re more mature that Moryo, by miles.”

“That’s not saying much” said Maitimo under his breath, dodging a light kick to his ankle. “Alright then” he clasped his hands together, smiling brilliantly. “Prove it.”

“What?”

“Huh?”

“Our… _esteemed_ Aunt Findis is holding a ball a week tomorrow…. now if you were children still, you should not be expected to come and might be allowed to remain in the palace gardens, even so far as the great fountain, but since you claim to be so grown up…. ah! _Ow!_ Young lords of the Ñoldor don’t pull their brothers’ hair!”


End file.
